With the new story “Gates of Oblivion” and the associated expansion Blackwood, the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) kicked off the year 2021. There were reports on the current player count of all registered accounts and how many new players were added in 2020. Zenimax Online has every reason to be happy, as the online game boasts nearly 18 million players.
How is ESO doing? During the presentation of “Gates of Oblivion” and the Blackwood expansion on January 26, Game Director Matt Firor spoke about the current state of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online. He had good news to share and proudly announced the current player numbers:
- Matt Firor stated that the 18 million player mark will be surpassed soon. At the time of the announcement, it stood at 17.959 million.
- Already in April, it was reported that ESO has more players than ever before.
- According to Matt Firor, three million new players joined in 2020.
The community of The Elder Scrolls Online has never been stronger!
Matt Firor, Game Director The Elder Scrolls Online
What do these numbers indicate? The nearly 17 million refers to the players who own an ESO account. It is not the number of actually active fans. Still, 18 million is quite impressive. The number shows how successful and popular the MMORPG is.
Furthermore, Matt Firor explained that The Elder Scrolls Online is the most successful game of the past four years from Bethesda, based on these numbers.
This is why ESO is so successful
What is behind it? The Elder Scrolls Online boasts a vast game world, deep lore, and plenty of good quests. Additionally, it provides an easy entry for newcomers, who can choose where they want to start in the world.
There is regularly new content. Each year, a major story unfolds, spanning multiple DLCs and a substantial expansion. In 2020, this was Greymoor, which took fans to snowy Skyrim. This was a major hit for ESO, as The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim from 2011 remains one of the most popular single-player RPGs. Being able to return to this land in the MMORPG ESO and visit many familiar places offered a nostalgic experience.
Another point is that ESO can be played on consoles like PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The controls are very tailored for the controller. As there are not as many MMORPGs on consoles as on PC, Zenimax Online hits the mark with ESO.
Are there still problems? ESO has been plagued by performance issues for some time, which are also related to the high player numbers. However, Zenimax announced during the Oblivion event that they plan to provide new servers this year and work on the issues.
ESO is truly very successful. We asked 3 players why they have amassed over 9,000 hours of gameplay in the MMORPG.
